1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape cartridge including a leader member to which a leading edge of a tape-shaped recording medium led outside is attached.
2. Description of the Related Art
A 1-reel type tape cartridge accommodates a single reel hub unit constructed of an upper flange and a lower flange. A tape-shaped recording medium is wound along a periphery of the hub unit. The thus constructed tape cartridge is used for storing backup data for a computer, and so forth. When this type of tape cartridge is loaded into a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus, the tape-shaped recording medium wound along the periphery of the hub of the reel hub unit provided inside is led out and wound on a reel hub unit on the side of a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. The tape-shaped recording medium runs between the two reel hub units, whereby recording and reproducing are conducted.
FIG. 10 shows a leader member to which the leading edge of the tape-shaped recording medium led out of the tape cartridge described above is attached. As illustrated in FIG. 10, a leader member 100 is constructed of a pin member 101 and a clamp member 102. The leading edge of a tape-shaped recording medium 110 is held along a periphery of the pin member 101 as the leading edge is clamped by the clamp member 102. When the tape cartridge is loaded into a recording/reproducing apparatus, engagement portions 102 of the leader member 100 engage with a tape lead-out mechanism on the apparatus side (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.11-185435).
When assembling the leader member 100 as shown in FIG. 10, the tape-shaped recording medium 110 is positioned between the pin member 101 and the clamp member 102 and is pinched by intruding the clamp member 102 on an outer peripheral surface of the pin member 101 between collar portions 103 from through an opening 102a. In the thus assembled leader member 100, when the tape cartridge is employed in the recording/reproducing apparatus, the engagement portions 102 provided at both edges of the pin member 101 are engaged with the apparatus side and thus pulled, and hence the leader member 100 is required to have a clamping force acting on the tape-shaped recording medium 110. If the clamping force insufficient, the leading edge of the tape-shaped recording medium 110 gets mis-aligned with the leader member 100 and further might come off.